Finding Buddhist Temples and Communities Abroad for Thai, Cambodian, Lao and Myanmar Students

Why a temple matters beyond religion

For Theravada Buddhist students from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, a temple abroad is rarely only a place of worship. It works as a community center where you hear your own language, eat food cooked the way your family cooks it, and meet older students, monks and long-settled community members who can help with practical problems. Many students who never visited a temple regularly at home start going every week once they are far from it.

Temples run by monks from your home country also give you somewhere to mark rites of passage. If you need a blessing before an exam, support during a family bereavement back home, or a quiet place to sit, the temple community usually responds faster than an official university office.

Start with your university

Most universities in the UK, US, Australia, Canada and Europe run a multi-faith or interfaith chaplaincy office as part of student services. These offices keep updated contact lists for local mosques, churches, temples and gurdwaras, and can put you in touch with a Buddhist chaplain or advisor if the campus has one. Search your university's website for "interfaith", "chaplaincy" or "religious life" alongside your destination city.

Some universities with large Southeast Asian student populations, including several in Australia and the UK, have a registered Buddhist Society or Thai Society student club. These clubs often organize temple visits together, which is an easier first step than going alone.

Well-established temples in major study destinations

Thai, Cambodian and Lao communities have built temples in most cities with large diaspora populations, and many welcome new students warmly. A few examples that have operated for decades and are easy to find online:

• Wat Buddhapadipa in Wimbledon, London, the first Thai Buddhist temple in the UK, holds regular chanting and meditation sessions open to visitors.

• Wat Thai of Los Angeles in North Hollywood has run since 1971 and hosts a well known Songkran festival every April along with weekend merit-making.

• Cambodian and Lao Buddhist associations operate temples in cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Paris and several US cities, usually organized as community non-profits with their own websites or Facebook pages.

If your destination city does not have a temple from your exact home country, a Thai, Lao, Cambodian or Sri Lankan Theravada temple nearby will still follow familiar Theravada practice, and monks are generally welcoming across national lines.

How to search for one near you

1. Search "[your destination city] + Thai temple" or "Buddhist temple" or "Wat" (the Thai and Lao word for temple) directly.

2. Check your home country's embassy or consulate website in your study destination. Embassies often list community temples and associations under a "community" or "culture" section.

3. Ask your university's interfaith office or international student office for a referral.

4. Look for a Facebook group or page, many diaspora temples post their event calendar there rather than on a formal website.

What to expect on your first visit

Dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees, and remove your shoes before entering the main hall. Weekend visits are usually the easiest entry point since many temples hold a communal meal after the Sunday morning chanting where monks eat and lay visitors are welcome to bring or share food. You do not need to be a strict practitioner to attend, observing quietly is normal for a first visit.

Major festivals are the best way to meet other students quickly. Songkran (Thai New Year, mid-April), Pchum Ben (Cambodian ancestor festival, September or October), Boun Pi Mai (Lao New Year, mid-April) and Thingyan (Myanmar New Year, mid-April) all draw large community turnouts at diaspora temples, often with food stalls and cultural performances that feel close to home.